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JOSEPH STEBBINS 

A PIONEER AT THE OUTBREAK OF 
THE REVOLUTION 



By GEORGE SHELDON 



I SALEM, MASS. | 

I TliE SALEM PRESS COMPANY | 

I 1916 I 

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JOSEPH STEBBINS 

A PIONEER AT THE OUTBREAK OF 
THE REVOLUTION 



By GEORGE SHELDON 



SALEM, MASS. 

THE SALEM PRESS COMPANY 

1916 



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JOSEPH STEBBINS 

A PIONEER IN THE OUTBREAK OF THE 

REVOLUTION 



By George Sheldon. 



There cannot be too much honor paid to the memory of those who 
set themselves to the work of freeing this colony from the tyrannical grasp 
of Great Britain. They were men of nerve, persistence and faith in their 
cause and in one another. They had the firm belief that they should final- 
ly succeed in their herculean task. 

That the task was herculean is graphically shown in the following cry 
uttered in March, 1775. "Are we ready for war? Where are our stores 
— where are our arms — where our soldiers — where our generals — where 
our money — the sinews of War? They are nowhere to be found. In truth, 
we are poor, we are naked, we are defenceless, yet we talk of assuming the 
front of war! of assuming it, too, against a nation, one of the most formi- 
dable in the world; a nation ready and armed at all points; her navies riding 
triumphant on every sea, her armies never marching but to certain victory! 
What is to be the issue of the struggle we are called upon to court? What 
can be the issue, in the comparative circumstances of the two countries, 
but to yield up this country an easy prey to Great Britain." This and 
like eloquent addresses had no effect on the New England rebels of the Rev- 
olution. 



4 JOSEPH STEBBINS 

Deerfield, as a town, was at the forefront of this rebellion. Deerfield was 
not alone, but this sketch of her history is given as an illustration of 
what was going on all around her. 

As early as 1770 the Deerfield rebels had made up their minds for busi- 
ness, and had gradually come into civil power. For ten years previous- 
ly the loyalists had held control of the town, but in 1770 the rebels defied 
the loyalists and King George and elected rebel town officers. 

Prominent among the men of Deerfield who were active in this move- 
ment was my grandfather, Joseph Stebbins. July 28, 1774, when Stebbins 
was twenty-four years old, the spirit of patriotism of the "Sons of Liberty" 
had reached such a height that preparations had been made for setting up 
a tall "Liberty Pole" upon the village street. Party spirit ran high, and 
little courtesy was shown on either side. There were a few Tories in town, 
and this Pole, which had been brought here too late in the day to be erected, 
was sawed asunder by one of them when darkness could conceal the actor 
who boastingly made record of the act in his diary. This diary is now in 
my possession. 

The next morning the rebels procured another stately tree from the 
forest, and planted it firmly on the Street within six rods of my grandfather's 
house, with a liberty flag floating defiantly therefrom. 

Stebbins was one of those who well knew that proceedings like these 
would call down upon the heads of the rebels the vengeance of one of the 
most powerful nations of the earth, and he early saw the necessity of pre- 
paring to resist force by force. He was one of the leaders in organizing 
and drilling a company of the "Sons of Liberty." The strength of the town 
of Deerfield was behind them as we have already seen. 

Oct, 7, 1774 a town meeting was called and a rebel elected to the Pro- 
vincial Congress. Oct. 17, a new military company "to be under the orders 
of the new Congress" was organized here. Nov. 11, Col. David Field and 
Major David Dickinson were sent to a rebel military field meeting at North- 
ampton. 



JOSEPH STEBBINS 5 

Dec. 5, the town voted to direct the selectmen to' procure a stock of 
powder and lead. 

A Minute company was formed and might have been seen actively 
drilling with Jonas Locke as Captain and Joseph Stebbins as Lieutenant. 

It so happened that on a day which turned out to be one of the most 
eventful in the history of Deerfield — April 20, 1775 — a town meeting was 
held in the schoolhouse, when it was, — "Voted that y" Minute Company, 
so called in this Town (as an Encouragement to their perfecting themselves 
in the Military Art) be allowed by the Town y'' following sums, viz.: to 
y® Capt & two Lieuts each two shillings, to y® clerk one shilling & six pence, 
and to the non-commissioned Officers & Privates one shilling each for one- 
half day in a week, until ordered otherwise by y*^ Selectmen who are here- 
by appointed a Committee to determine how long y*" said Company shall 
Draw y'^ above mentioned wages." 

It was then provided that the company should receive back pay for 
time spent in exercising, at one-half the above rates. Thus the town 
adopted and backed up all the rebels had done. 

Deerfield had now a little paid rebel army of its own which had been 
drilling for months and my grandfather was an officer. Bear in mind 
this was more than fourteen months before the Declaration of Indepen- 
dence. 

The little far away town had this day provided for a contingency which 
had already occurred. Even while the meeting was deliberating men on 
horseback were hurriedly spreading the startling news in every direction 
that the war had begun. The schoolhouse door had scarcely closed when 
the resounding hoof beats of the galloping horse, and the hoarse call "To 
Arms!" of the excited rider were heard on our village green. "Gage has 
fired upon the people! Minute men to the rescue! Now is the time! Cam- 
bridge the place!" and the twain are off like a meteor. Then there was 
hurrying to and fro and arming in hot haste, and before the hours of the 
day were numbered forty-nine men under Capt. Jonas Locke and Lieut. 
Joseph Stebbins were on their way to the scene of bloodshed to join the 



6 JOSEPH STEBBINS 

band of patriots under Gen. Artemas Ward already gathering and encir- 
cling Gage in its toils. The blood of the colony was at fever heat and Gage 
had tapped the first vein at Concord. 

By general consent Gen. Ward had been placed at the head of the move- 
ment against Gage, and had been directed to raise an army of 30,000 men 
for this object. At the outbreak of the Revolution, Ward was one of the 
leading men of Massachusetts in both civil and military life, and in June, 
1775, the second Continental Congress appointed him first Major-General, 
ranking next to Washington in the American army. 

A letter in my possession gives bits of information, not elsewhere found, 
as to how the Dcerfield company fared on the way, and how they were re- 
ceived by Gen. Ward. This letter is singularly devoid of sentiment. There 
is not a word regarding the main cause of the war, and not a hint is found 
concerning the reception they received from the people as they struggled 
along. It is addressed to "Col. Selah Barnard" at Deerficld, and written 
by Isaac Parker, Clerk of the Company. The letter is given in full. 

Waltham April 24 [Monday] 1775 
Sir having an Opportunity to send by the Barror we thought it Best 
to Acquaint you as well as we could of our wellfare, we are safe arrived and 
are took our Quarters at Brewers to night But Ave are not able to tell whether 
this will be our Quarters long, our Regement is not all arrived, Liut Col 
Williams [Samuel] arrived with his Company Last Saturday night we have 
had rain every day since we set out which made the traveling very wet and 
hard, But our men are in good Spirits and everyBody else we see — -we shall 
not need any Provision, for we can Draw our allowance to morrow if we 
please. But we think Best to use our own as long as it Last — tomorrow en- 
listing orders are to be given out to Raise a standing army. Several of the 
other provinces have Sent and offered to Raise their part, those that enlist 
are to have one Coat and forty shilling a month, it is thought all the Cash 
that can be sent will be much wanted, and we think if it could be obtain 
to send our money now in the Collectors* hand Down — you will Doubt- 

*The "CoUuctors" were men selected by the rebels for the purpose of collecting the pay of the rebel 
soldiers. It was feared that tlie t.ix collectors might prove to be Tories and refuse to pay the rebel soldiers. 
'I'he wage's of the soldiers were ahv lys p lil in specie which was collected at stated times by the "Collectors" 
and held subject to the orders of thj sjldiers wuo wjre lial)le to be in the field on pay day. 



JOSEPH STEBBINS 7 

less here many false stories which we would not have you pay much Re- 
gard to, they have took Saml Murry, and John Ruggles prisoners who are 
under gard — we should be be very glad to see you if you think Best, as I 
have heard that Col Williams does, please to inform all our friends of our 
wellfare. Excuse this, as it is Late at night 

I remains in Behalf of the Company your 

Haml Sevt 

Isaac Parker Clerk 



Under this call for enlistment at headquarters, Lieut. Stebbins was 
the first of the Dcerfield compan}'- to respond. 

It has now been shown that Deerfield was in the front ranks of the 
rebellion, and that Joseph Stebbins was an officer in a military company 
which was zealously drilling before Washington received his commission 
as Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army. 

Many towns, like Deerfield, foresaw the coming struggle and made 
like preparations to meet it. Sunderland, nearby, organized a company 
of Minute men in the fall of 1774, and employed a "deserter" to drill them. 

In Greenfield a company of Minute men were drilling under the direc- 
tion of Capt. Timothy Childs, a veteran of the French War. 

A paper in Memorial Hall signed by Jesse Billings and twenty-nine 
others shows how the matter was arranged in Hatfield before the authority 
was assumed by the Provincial Congress. "We the subscribers apprehend- 
ing the military exercise is specially Requisite at this Day, and altho Capt. 
Allis, Lieut. Partridge and Ens. Dickinson have publicly declared that they 
will not act as military officers under the acts of Parliament in the support 
of the same. But we desire that they should call us together and exercise 
us by themselves or such others as they shall judge likely to teach and in- 
struct us in the military art." 

Worcester County, the home of Artemas Ward, was all on fire. Miss 
Ellen Chase, in her "Beginnings of the Revolution," recites the fact of seven 
regiments of one thousand men each driUing in local companies twice a week 



8 JOSEPH STEBBINS 

in that county, and that the men had taken on the name of Minute men 
from being prepared to answer an alarm call at a minute's notice. At Mar- 
blehead the excitement ran still higher; there the rebels were drilling three 
or four times a week. 

Richard Henry Lee, a distinguished Virginian statesman, said of the 
rebels at this period, they were "men trained to arms from their infancy." 
Does not the slaughter of British officers on Bunker Hill bear testimony 
to the truth of these words? 

Instances might be multiplied but enough has been said to illustrate 
the spirit and the practice of these indomitable rebels. 

I have dwelt at more length upon this subject of the early and earnest 
preparation for war by the patriots to show that the editor of the New Re- 
public was very wide indeed of the mark when he recently published the 
following statement: — 

"What, as a matter of fact, were the minute-men of the Revolution? 
They were citizens-at-large whom the Provincial congresses and the 
Committees of Safety of 1774 instructed to keep their powder-horns filled 
and hold themselves in readiness to shoot Britishers. They had had no 
military drill, and no practice except in shooting Indians and small game. 
They went down to defeat after defeat, they were chronically under-sup- 
plied with ammunition, they were hardly more than an armed rabble." 
To be sure the rebels were forced from Bunker Hill by Gage's swarm of 
Regulars and shortage of powder but, in effect, this action was equivalent 
to a victory. Gage had little stomach for another encounter with that 
sort of a "rabble," and how soon the British Regulars were driven clear 
of all Boston land and water! 

We left Joseph Stebbins while serving as lieutenant in Captain Locke's 
company on the Lexington alarm, Apr. 20, 1775. This company arrived 
at headquarters on Monday, Apr. 24, and was at once broken up. Gen. Ward 
evidently preferring to use this new accession of force as units for fill- 
ing the ranks of his new army, rather than as a new organization to be pro- 
vided for. The next day Gen. Ward issued a call for volunteers to enlist 



JOSEPH STEBBINS 9 

in the new army which he was raising to defy Gage. As fast as the men 
found places they were transferred to the rolls of the new service with pay 
from the day they left Deerfield. Capt. Locke was given a post of honor 
in the new army. In some way — it may have been his soldierly bearing 
or his known activity in the rebel cause — Stebbins had attracted the at- 
tention of Ward who, on April 27, appointed him Captain in Col. Jonathan 
Brewer's regiment, and his appointment was forwarded to the Continen- 
tal Congress at Philadelphia. It may be a surprising statement, but it 
is a fact, that Stebbins was appy)inted a Captain in the rebel army nearly 
two months before Washington was placed in his exalted position. 

For unexplained reasons, before Stebbins's commission was received. 
Ward placed Stebbins in Col. Prescott's regiment, and on the night of June 
16, he was active with pick and spade at Bunker Hill, while the next day 
he was in the thickest of the fight, serving as a Captain under Brewer, with 
a company not fully recruited. 

His commission, dated July 1, 1775, signed by John Hancock, Pres- 
ident of the Continental Congress, now hangs in Memorial Hall, This Con- 
gress was made up of men selected from the leading spirits of the rebel col- 
onies. 

This commission shows Stebbins to have been a Captain ih the Sev- 
enth Regiment raised by Washington for the Revolutionary Army. 

The commission follows: — 

In Congress. 

The Delegates of the United Colonies of New-Hampshire, Massachu- 
setts-Bay, Rhode-Island, Connecticut, New- York, New-Jersey, Pennsyl- 
vania, the Counties of New-Castle, Kent, and Suffex on Delaware, Mary- 
land, Virginia, North-Carolina and South-Carolina to Joseph Stebbins, 
Esquire. 

We reposing especial Trust and Confidence in your Patriotism, Valour, Con- 
duct and Fidelity DO by these presents constitute and appoint you to be 
Captain of a Company in the 7th Regiment, commanded by Col. Brewer, 
in the army of the United Colonies, raised for the Defense of American 



lo JOSEPH STEBBINS 

Liberty, and for repelling every hostile Invasion thereof. You are there- 
fore carefully and diligently to discharge the Duty of Captain by doing 
and performing all Manner of Things thereunto belonging. And we do strict- 
ly charge and require all Officers and Soldiers under your Command to be 
obedient to your orders as Captain. And you are to observe and follow 
such Orders and Directions from Time to Time, as you shall receive from 
this or a future Congress of the United Colonies, or Committee of Congress, 
for that Purpose appointed, or Commander in Chief for the Time being of 
the Army of the United Colonies, or any other your superior Officer, accord- 
ing to the Rules and Discipline of War, in Pursuance of the Trust reposed 
in you. This Commission to continue in Force until revoked by this or 
a future Congress. 
July 1st 1775 By order of the Congress 

John Hancock, President 
Attest Chas Thomson Secy* 

Having received his commission Capt. Stebbins was now a full-fledged 
soldier in the continental army which had been put by Congress under 
the command of George Washington, June 19, only eleven days before Steb- 
bins's commission was made out. Let us note that this commission was 
issued in the same room and by the same body of men which had commis- 
sioned Washington Commander-in-chief of the rebel army. 

Washington left Philadelphia June 21 to take command of the American 
army at Cambridge; this he did July 3, a memorable day in the history of 
the colonies. 

Capt. Stebbins was in Col. Brewer's regiment which was then at Head- 
quarters, Cambridge. Aug. 1, Stebbins's Company was full. We know that 
he was earnestly engaged under Brewer in driving Gage and Howe out 
of Boston. Bunker Hill had spoken in tones of thunder, Howe had taken 
counsel of prudence, and Boston was evacuated Mar. 17, 1776. 

Owing to an unfortunate accident a large number of the old Stebbins 
family papers were destroyed, so that we have fewer particulars than we 

* \n ex.amin.ation will show that this commission was issued Viy twelve colonies only; as Georgia, the 
la^t, the thirteenth, hnd now t iken its place, the presumption is that the economical secretary of the Second 
Congress utilized a printed form left over from the First Congress. 



JOSEPH STEBBINS u 



In congress. 

TJji Delegates of the United Colonies of Ncw-Hnmpfliire, Mafl"achufetCs-Ba)r, Rhode-Ifland, Con 
ncdicut, New- York, New-Jerfey, ,Pennf)'lvania, the Counties 0/ Ncvv-Caftlc, Kent, and SufTo 



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Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North-Carolina, ««a^ij"uuLh-CaroIiaa, to ^^Tc^^i^C- ^^f'^^tC ' <P 

WE repofing cfpccial Truft and Confidence in your Patriotifm, Valour, Conduft and Fidelity, , 
D O by thefe Prefents, conflitute and appoint you to be ^Y^^^f^,^ ^-^ ^ • 

in the Army of the United Colonies, raifcd for the Defence of American Liberty^ and for repelling every 

hoflile Invafion thereof. You are therefore carefully and diligently to difcharge the Duty of — — 

^A./u^tZ.^^ by '^o'ng and performing all Manner of Things thereunto belonging. And we do ftridly 
cKargc and require all Officers and Soldiers under your Command, to be obedient to your Orders as 
/2^t,..^fC-^U,^^t^ Aiid you arc to oblerve and follow fuch Orders -and Diredions from 

Time to Time, as you fhall receive from ihi, or a future Congrefs of the United Colonies, or Committee 
of Congrefs, for that Purpofe appointed, or Commander in Chief for the Time being of the Army of 
the United Colonies, or any other youiffuperior Officer, according to the Rules and Difcipline of War, 
in Purfuancc of the Truft repofcd in you. This Commiffion to continue in Force until revoked by thii 
or a future Congrefs, 

!piJ^ 1 \'f7}. ^y ^^'^^^ "/ *^e Congrefs, 

Attefl. '^f^^/^f*^t'^^/f^/ 




IDENT. 



12 JOSEPH STEBBINS 

could wish of the Revolutionary service of Capt. Stebbins. At the time 
of the Declaration of Independence we find him in Cambridge in command 
of a company under Major-General Artemas Ward. 

We come now to one of the leading events in the history of the Rev- 
olutionary War, in which Capt. Stebbins had an active part. I feel a just 
pride in paying all honor to my mother's father. 

King George had sent Thomas Gage across the waves to straighten 
out affairs in and about Boston. Gage had failed and been recalled prac- 
tically in disgrace. In 1777, Gen. John Burgoyne was sent with an army 
of Regulars and a horde of Hessians, with instructions to sweep the pesti- 
lent rebels off the face of the earth. 

About the time the news reached here that Burgoyne's Hessians were 
marching toward New England — and their fate — orders were received for 
reinforcing the rebel army in northern New York. 

Capt. Stebbins was now — August, 1777 — in Deerfield. With Lieut. 
John Bardwell and 45 men he marched directly to Bennington. They were 
too late for the battle, but they had the satisfaction of seeing the Hessians 
already prisoners in the meetinghouse. From Bennington Capt. Stebbins 
marched to Batten Kill, and joined the regiment of Col. David Wells of 
Shelburne. From there they marched to Fort Edward to cut off the re- 
treat of Burgoyne's army. While at Fort Edward Capt. Stebbins called 
for volunteers to follow him across the Hudson to surprise an outpost of 
Burgoyne near Fort Miller. I was personally acquainted with one of these 
volunteers, Jeremiah Newton of Deerfield, from whom I obtained consid- 
erable information concerning this campaign. In September, 1777, Bur- 
goyne appeared with an apparently invincible force near Saratoga. On 
the 19th a fierce engagement occurred with Gates and his rebels in which 
both parties claimed the victory. On the 20th the struggle was renewed. 
Burgoyne was totally defeated and driven from the field. The King's sweep- 
ers were smothered in the dust they had raised. Burgoyne's shattered 
army became hemmed in by Gates and mortally wounded. All the heal- 
ing waters of Saratoga could bring no balm to Burgoyne. He found no 



JOSEPH STEBBINS 13 

4 

avenue of escape. On Oct. 17, he was a prisoner with his whole army in the 
hands of the rebel General. Thus ended the memorable battle of Sara- 
toga and the boastful campaign of Burgoyne. 

It was now that our Deerfield heroes saw the head of the proud Briton 
humbled to the earth. 

Burgoyne had discovered his mistake. He had declared a few weeks 
before that the rebels were made up of the lowest stratum of the peasantry 
with few or no respectable persons among them. He had no more idea that 
he should be successfully opposed by this riff-raff than he had of riding on 
horseback to the moon. 

The trained troops of Burgoyne were contesting only for their King, 
and must of necessity, in the long run, give way before the Patriots who,' 
inspired by the spirit of freedom, were desperately struggling for their own 
individual sovereignty. 

Men of might had come to the front and were declared leaders by ac- 
clamation. In fact, a new and powerful nation had sprung into being based 
on individual rights. 

We now exhibit in Memorial Hall a few spoils of the Saratoga campaign. 
One item is a linen towel brought home by Capt. Stebbins, and a brass candle- 
stick secured by Capt. Maxwell of Charlemont, both from the personal 
belongings of Burgoyne. Stebbins also brought back part of a manuscript- 
book belonging to the commissary department of Burgoyne's army. The 
last entry made in it by the department was Oct. 8, 1777. This book con- 
tained a detailed account of rations given out to the Tory volunteers and 
camp assistants, six hundred and seventy-five names appearing on the pages 
preserved. An examination shows that this book was utilized by the Con- 
tinentals as an orderly book at "Headquarters, Fort Edward," Oct. 13, 
14, 15. On the 14th Col. David Wells was field officer of the day with 47 
of his men on guard duty. On one of the blank pages of the book Capt. 
Stebbins, on Oct. 18, made up a pay roll of his own company. This list of 
the men is here given save that the names of the privates are placed alpha- 
betically; one hundred and fifteen miles travel was allowed to each man. 



14 



JOSEPH STEBBINS 



Capt. Joseph Stebbins 
Lt. John Bardwell 
Sergt. George Herbert 
Sergt. Abel Parker 



Allen, Joseph 
Andrews, Nehemiah 
Beaman, John 
Billings, Thomas 
Bliss, David 
Burt, Ithamar 
Burt, Simeon 
Catlin, Timothy 
Childs, Lemuel 
Connable, John 
Dickinson, Eliphalet 
Faxon, Thomas 



Sergt. Daniel Slate 
Sergt. Samuel Turner 
Corp. David Hoyt 
Corp. Zibah Phillips 

Privates 

Frary, Nathan 
Gait, John 
Gray, David 
Gray, Robert 
Harding, Abiel 
Joiner, Edward 
Joiner, William 
Maxwell, Philip 
Miller, Tilotson 
Newton, Jeremiah 
Newton, Levi 
Orvis, William 



Corp. Samuel Gladding 
Corp. Jason Parmenter 
Drummer, James Warren 
Fifer, Justin Hitchcock 



Parker, Samuel 
Sanderson, Joseph 
Sheldon, Amasa 
Sheldon, Cephas 
Stone, Elias 
Taylor, Eliphalet 
Taylor, John 
Tute, Moses 
Webster, Stephen 
Wells, Thomas 
Wheat, Samuel 



The day after the surrender of Saratoga, Capt. Stebbins and his com- 
pany took the trail for home, the blood of each tingling with the conscious- 
ness that he had done something to bring about this glorious result. 

We must leave to the imagination the stories these gallant soldiers 
told to their neighbors and one another while peacefully smoking their 
pipes at their evening haunt in the store of Col. David Field, which stood 
under the folds of the liberty flag, opposite the home of their Captain. 

Comparatively little is known of Capt. Stebbins's military history during 
the closing years of the war. In 1779 and 1780 he is in lists of soldiers "serv- 
ing short terms from Deerfield." In 1781 he was commissioned Lieutenant- 
Colonel in the "Fifth regiment of militia in the County of Hampshire." 
This commission signed by John Hancock, Governor of Massachusetts, 
now hangs in Memorial Hall. This year Stebbins enlisted for three years 
or the war. In the late autumn of 1783 Washington discharged all the 
soldiers whom he had so enlisted. 



JOSEPH STEBBINS 15 

Lieut.-Col. Stebbins assisted Gov. Hancock in the troublous times of 
Shays's Rebellion, and the arms taken from these truculent malcontents 
were stored for safe keeping in his garret. With all the temptations of the 
owners to recover their arms by force, Gov. Hancock must have had great 
confidence in the martial or mental power of the Lieutenant-Colonel. 

May 22, 1788, Lieut.-Col. Stebbins was commissioned by Gov. Hancock, 
Colonel of the Second Massachusetts regiment. 

On the death of Washington, Deerfield had appropriate and imposing 
ceremonies. It was certainly fitting that Col. Stebbins should be one of 
five who conducted the obsequies on that occasion. 

In addition to his active military career Col. Stebbins performed his 
part in the civil life of the community. He was eight years on the board 
of selectmen, and often held minor offices of the town. 

Col. Stebbins was much interested in education and was a member of a 
corporation which established a private school on the Town Street. He 
was one of four citizens of Deerfield who petitioned for and secured from 
the General Court a charter for the Deerfield Academy in 1797. In 1806 
he presented a planetarium and lunarium to the collection of scientific ap- 
paratus of the Academy, thus showing his interest in scientific studies. 

We have followed the career of Joseph Stebbins so far as known, and 
have found him always and early in the foremost ranks of workers. He 
played his part faithfully and well at the outbreak of the Revolution, the 
time of his country's direst need. He lived to see the colonies free, and 
a nation leading the world. 



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